Feed dog



July 5, 1932,. v w. F. NEWHOUSE 1,865,879

FEED DOG Filed Sept. 15, 1930 Patented July 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICE WALTER F. NEWHOUSE, OF BENTON HARBOR., MICHIGAN lFEED DOG Applicationiled September 15, 1930. Serial No. 481,915.

This invention relates to feed dogs for the sprocket chains or feed belts of machines for feeding the work under a stapling mechanism, and more particularly for feeding the j materials on box blank machines, or any other similar machines.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby the feed dog, such as a pusher, or a sheet spacer for a blank machine, or other similar. machine, 'is adjustable to accurately position the engaging portion or portions of said dog or pusher or spacer, without changing the position'of the mounting portion of the dog on the chain or feed belt, the said pusher or spacer being readily adjustable on the said mounting, thereby to facilitate the adjustment of a feeding means of this kind to insure accurate work.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eficiency and the desirability of a feed dog of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Y Fig. l is a side elevation of a feed dog embodying theprinciples of the invention, showing a sheet spacer adjustablly positioned thereon; y

Fig. 2 isa vertical section on line 2--2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l of the drawing;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a cleat pusher, or a pusher for similar purposes, substituted for the said sheet spacer on the mounting by which the feed dog is secured tothe sprocket chain or feed belt;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 4 ofthe drawing;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the said sheet spacer;and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of theV said cleat pusher or pusher for feeding work of any desired character. f

As thus illustrated, the invention may be used on a wirebound box blank machine having a sprocket chain or feed belt 1 of any suitable character, these machines ordinarily having two of these feed 'belts spaced apart and arranged one at each side of the machine. The feed dog mounting comprises the 56 members 2 and 3 provided with dovetail grooves 4 and 5 between them and adjustably held together by a bolt or screw 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 ofthe drawing. The feed y belt is preferably provided with pivots form- 60 ing side pins or projections 7 for` engaging sockets in the members 2 and 3, thereby to removably hold the mounting on the feed belt or chain, and in this way the mounting does v not clamp the links, the latter being left-free to articulate on the said pivots.

For some kinds of work, such as4 spacing the sheets of a wirebound box blank, sheet spacers 8 of the kind shown in Fig. 6 may be employed, the spacer having a dovetail base 9 to feed the grooves 4 and '5, as shown. When the bolt 6 is tightened, the base 9 will be firmly held and clamped in the grooves 4 and 5, and the spacer o r pusher or positioning element 8 will be held in 'accurate adjust- 75 ed position on the mounting of the feed dog, to engage box blank materials, or other kinds of work.

In Fig. 7, a pusher or laterally projecting arm 10 is shown, having a base l1 similar to 80 the base 9, and having also, if desired, an upstanding portion l2, depending upon the kind of work this element, as shown in Fig.

7, is required to engage, on a blank machine,

or on any other machine requiring the automatic feeding of work under Staplers. The arm 10, forexample, may engage the cleats of a wirebound box blank, on a wirebound box blank machine, or the arm 10 of each feed dog (it will be understood that a plurality of these dogs may be used on the feed belt) may engage other kinds of work on other ma.- chines. The upstanding portion 12 may engage the edges of wirebound box blank sheets,

or may engage other box or crate materials, or other materials for other products to be made on stapling machines having automatic means for feeding the work under Staplers. rlhe base 11 is adapted to engage the grooves 4 and 5, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, 100

thus holding the engaging element shown in Fig. 7 in accurate adjusted position.

It will be seen that the base 9 or the base l1 can be moved endwise in the grooves l and 5, by slightly loosening the bolt 6, without disturbing the position of the mounting members 2 and 3 on the chain or feed belt. Thus, accurate adjustment of the feed dog can be obtained without necessitating the changing of the position of the mounting on the chain or feed belt.

Furthermore, the members 2 and 3, forming said mounting, can be used practically universally on all machines having feed belts, and it will only be necessary to vary or change the shape of the feed dog engaging elements to adapt the feed dog for any particular machine, or for machines for handling different kinds of work, or for making different products. In this way, a standardized form of sprocket chain or feed belt can be used on machines for making different kinds of products, and such chains or belts may have a standardized form of feed dog mounting, for all of the different machines, and only the elements that engage the materials will require different forms or shapes or sizes, but each element will have a standardized base, such as the base 9 or the base 11, for engaging the standard or universal form of feed dog mounting. Of course, as will be readily understood, it is possible, and probably true, that the same engaging elements, or the same form of engaging elements, such, for example, as those shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing, can be used on different machines for making different kinds of products. But for some products, the engaging elements of the feed dogs will probably have to assume different forms or shapes or sizes, but the feed dog mounting can remain of the standard form on the different machines, and in each case the feed dogs thus provided are susceptible of accurate and easy adjustment for spacing the materials, or for positioning the material invarious ways.

It is also obvious that for some purposes the element shown in Fig. 7 can be reversed or turned around, so that its arm 10 will project in the opposite direction, instead of the direction shown in Figs. el. and 5 of the drawing, depending upon the character of the machine and the character of the product to be made on such machine.

As previously stated, the fact that the mounting members 2 and 3 are carried on the end portions 7 ofthe sprocket chain pivots, results in leaving the links of the endless belt or sprocket chain free to articulate upon or about said pivots, which would not be the case if vthe mounting was` clamped firmly against the sides of the links, for in that case the link belt would be subject to pressure in a manner tending to stiffen or interfere with the free articulation of the links upon or about their pivots. Furthermore, this manner of mounting the feed dog on the ends of the pivots makes the mounting adjustable from one position to another, very easily, and makes attachment and removal of the mounting a very easy matter as well.

It will be understood that the feed belt or link belt or feed chain, with feed guides of the kind shown and described, can be supported and guided in any suitable or desired manner, as for this purpose guides of different kinds or shapes or forms can be employed. It is also obvious that the feed dog shown and described can be used as either a right or a left, either on the right hand side of the feed belt or chain, or on the left hand side of the feed belt or chain, simply by turning it around. Thus the feed dogs may all be of the same kind, as it will not be necessary to make rights and lefts, as is necessary with certain other kinds of feed dogs. The construction shown and described and claimed has these advantages, as well as those previously explained.

`What claim as my invention is:

l. A sprocket chain endless feed belt having pivotally connected links, a mounting provided with screw means for removably attaching it in straddling position to the outer ends of the pivots of said feed belt, outside the links of said belt, whereby said mounting is carried by the ends of said pivots, thereby obviating pressure against the links and insuring free articulation thereof on said pivots, and an engaging element on said mounting for engaging and feeding materials, said mounting having clamping means subject to said screw means for holding said engaging element in a plurality of adjusted positions thereon, longitudinally of said belt, whereby said element is slidably adjustable while maintaining the position of said mounting on said feed belt, the links of said belt being embraced between the sides of said mounting, and the belt pivots extending beyond the sides of the belt and into said mounting sides.

2. A structure as specified in claim l, said mounting comprising two members for engaging the sides of the feed belt, each member having a dovetail groove extending longitudinally of said belt, and said element having a dovetail base to engage said grooves, and the mounting having a screw separably and adj ustably connecting said members together, extending transversely of said belt, said screw thereby clamping said base in said grooves and serving also to hold said members in engagement with the sides of the feed belt.

3. A structure as specified in claim l, said element having sliding adjustment on said mounting directly above and longitudinally of said feed belt.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said element being interchangeable with other elements of different shapes and sizes, whereby the feed dog mounting is operative with different kinds of engaging elements.

5. A structure as speoied in claim 1, said mounting comprising relatively movable members for engaging the feed belt and for adjustably clamping the element in position thereon.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said element having an upstanding engaging feed portion..

7 A structure as specified in claim 1, said element having a laterally projecting engaging feed portion.

Specification signed this eleventh day of September, 1930.

WALTER F. NEWHOUSE. 

